Announcements

In light of the departure of the Assessor’s Director of Compliance (“DOC”), Judge Schenkier entered an order on December 4, 2018 appointing Susan G. Feibus, the Assessor Compliance Administrator (“ACA”), to simultaneously serve as ACA and DOC until the DOC vacancy is filled.

Following the May 4, 2018 resignation of the Assessor’s Director of Compliance (“DOC”), the federal court appointed Susan Feibus, Assessor Compliance Administrator (“ACA”), to serve as interim DOC. It is the ACA’s expectation that the Assessor will make hiring a new DOC a priority.

On June 16, 2014, after almost nine years of intensive monitoring by Noelle Brennan, a court-appointed monitor, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sidney Schenkier granted Plaintiffs’ Class Counsel and the City’s joint Motion to Dismiss the City from the Shakman case finding the City to be in “Substantial Compliance” with the Agreed Settlement Order and Accord. As a result, the City hiring and other employment practices are no longer subject to Court oversight.

This Order came and as a result of considerable efforts by the City, Plaintiffs’ class counsel, and Ms. Brennan to: (1) eradicate the policies, procedures and practices that previously facilitated or permitted employment decisions to be based on political factors and (2) develop and effectively implement new policies, procedures and practices that ensure that the City’s hiring and employment actions are fair and transparent for the long term.

The City is not the first defendant to be dismissed from the Shakman case. The Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County were dismissed in 2011and 2013 respectively. These dismissals are encouraging as they demonstrate that what may be accomplished when a governmental entity commits to creating the structures and safeguards necessary to ensure that its hiring and employment actions are fair and transparent.

The Monitor for the Assessor’s Office, while noting progress in several areas, continues to be concerned about the ability of the Human Resources Department to implement fully an Employment Plan that is under review as well as the Assessor’s commitment to achieving Substantial Compliance. A Report will be filed with Judge Schenkier later in July which will more fully address these concerns.

For information about the history of the City’s case, the Shakman Monitor’s observations over the years and the efforts that went in to achieving Substantial Compliance, please review the Substantial Compliance documents on the Shakman Monitor website: